Children's meal ideas

If you need some inspiration to help you cook healthy and tasty food for your kids, try these meal ideas. These meals are not suitable as first foods but fine once your baby is older and used to eating a wide range of solid foods.

When preparing food for children, don’t add salt, sugar or stock cubes directly to the food, or to the cooking water.

Whole cows' milk can be given as a drink from the age of one. Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced at two years old, provided your child is a good eater and growing well for their age.

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Comments

The 2 comments about ‘Children's meal ideas - Pregnancy and baby guide - NHS Choices’ posted are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

Efi74 said on 24 October 2012

I was surprised to see that no red meat is included in any of the lunch or dinner meal ideas. I believe red meat is essential in the diet of young children and it is an excellent source of protein and iron. I believe it is worth revising the suggested meals to encourage people to offer more red meat and to make the diet a bit more varied.

DietitianFife said on 25 July 2012

Seven dinner ideas, three of which are vegetarian, plus all the lunch choices are vegetarian! The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of pre-school children (Gregory et al, 1995) reported iron deficiency in 12% of under twos, and a low iron status in around 30% of older children. Low red meat consumption is a known risk factor for iron deficiency (Gibson (1999) Public Health Nutrition; 2: 521–8) and the bioavailability of iron in lentils and chick peas is poor. Fish and chicken are low in iron. So, why isn't the Department of Health suggesting more meat-based meals for infants and children? The current list of meals would seem to be contrary to the evidence.